On Wednesday, August the 29th, I lead a tour of the Placer County portion of the trail for agency representatives responsible for maintenance on the Rubicon Trail. We had 23 people, nine rigs, one side-by-side and one quad. We had nine different agencies and groups represented.

There are plans in the works for El Dorado County, specifically Vickie Sander, to take over maintenance of the Placer County end of the trail. This would be done with a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MOU). There is talk that ALL the agencies would sign on: El Dorado County, Placer County, Eldorado National Forest, Tahoe National Forest, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, CA State Parks Central Valley Water Authority and Lahontan Water Authority.

This would streamline our efforts and get everyone on the same page. Funding for the Placer side should increase but matching funds could be tricky for the first few years. If you do any kind of maintenance on the Placer side (get permission first) document your work and the names and time spent for each volunteer. And turn them in to Placer County. Those hours add up.

We gathered at the Tahoma staging area around 8am. The safety and trip briefing were given at 8:30. The discussion started at 9am and by 9:15 we were on the trail.

Too many details to get in to here but we talked about everything from paving the staging area (May 2019) to work on hardening the ‘soft’ area west of Miller Creek.

All the agency reps stepped up, made constructive comments and sounded very positive about moving forward. The success of El Dorado in funding and work done on the trail had everyone leaving with very positive hopes.

FOTR should have a few smaller projects to be done before the snow flies. There will be more tours and we’ll need drivers. The Spring will bring a very early FOTR “Shovel Brigade” to clear the trail of major snow drifts to keep users on the trail. Spring tours are a must to see how and where the water currently flows during the spring melt.

Sorry for no pictures but I was talking most of the time.

We stopped a number of times on the way in to discuss current issues. Lunch at Observation was provided by the Rubicon Trail Foundation. We turned around near ‘Backdoor’ around 2:30. By 5pm we were back at the staging area. No break downs, no body got stuck, no body got hurt. It was a great day.

Again, thank you to my volunteer drivers, though most of the agencies brought transportation.

Below is an email I received regarding the latest efforts by Anti-OHV activists to close our public lands to OHV use. It’s from the local Tahoe snowmobile group. They recently held a meeting in SLT but more importantly, they need public comments.

Please take the time to write the Forest Service and let them know you are against closing 73% of the current snowmobile riding areas!

The scarier line in this email and FS proposal is the 1000′ corridor of non-motorized use along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The Tahoe National Forest first put this ‘idea’ on a map several years ago. If they get their foot in the door with over the snow use, the next step is every other OHV use and all year long.

The Rubicon an many, many other trails cross the Pacific Crest Trail.

After the get their corridor along the PCT, thy will want it along every other trail in the country. Let’s stop this now.

WE ARE AT RISK TO LOSE MORE OF OUR RIDING AREAS IN TAHOE/HOPE VALLEY/BLUE LAKES!!!

Enough is enough!

The Winter Wildlands have proposed closures of 73% of our existing riding areas in the ElDorado National Forest. And the Forest Service really, REALLY need to hear from all us so that the Winter Wildlands aren’t the only ones being heard.

And… as if that’s not bad enough — the Forest Service is pushing their “preferred alternative” which also closes and limits our riding areas as it imposes a 1000 feet “corridor” around the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Yes, the PCT goes through the Blue Lakes’ area and we would lose some of our most fun areas if the Forest Service got their way!!!

WE NEED TO PUSH BACK!!! WE’RE DONE LOSING RIDING AREAS!

Please go to our website for more info. And please SEND IN YOUR COMMENTS — deadline is August 6! Be respectful, be personal and be passionate in a constructive way!

The Eldorado national Forest has started fire restrictions as of July 14th.

The Tahoe National Forest has not yet posted restrictions but last year it was the 25th, the year before the 11th. Check the TNF website before you go. It is the users responsibility to know what restrictions are in effect.

Fire Permits are free from any forest office or even online.

FYI, the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit does not have fire restrictions by date. No fires are allowed outside official Forest Service fire pits and then only in official Forest Service campsites.

Hopefully, by Saturday afternoon, I’ll get them at the Rubicon trailhead in Tahoma. Once the Middle Fork Trail opens, I’ll post them there as well. The LTBMU is on board and even the TNF has allowed me to put up my map and fliers at the Barker Pass intersection.

So, not a lot of changes but one very important change. I’ve added a better representation of the Rubicon Trail Foundation (RTF) property and the trail to access the property. If you remember, there was a land swap done to allow vehicle access to the RTF property from the Rubicon. So, the RTF property is no longer the traditional rectangle of a half section of land.

Please remember that the RTF property is private property. It must be open for you to drive there. The plan is for the property to be open every weekend this summer but not mid-week.

The trail on the map is an approximation. It should not be used for navigation but rather for the general location of the trail. Please stay on the trail and Tread Lightly!

RTF plans to build a caretaker cabin on the property this summer. That will allow the property to be open all summer in 2019.

For more information on the RTF property, I suggest visiting the RTF website:

The annual FOTR meeting took place this morning at the Metal Cloak facility in Sacramento.

There was a good turn out; a couple of speakers; elections; food; etc.

Important to the Tahoe Side, Eldorado County is looking to get in to a memorandum of Understanding with Placer County to mange the Placer County portion of the trail. Vickie Sanders, with Eldorado County Parks, has always been there for the Rubicon Trail. She has now formally stepped up to help manage the Placer side.

Let’s hope that goes through.

The agreement would allow Vickie to write a single grant that would cover the entire trail. The debate of why can they do that on their side and we can’t argument would be gone as the trail would be managed by one agency. FYI, the LTBMU is onboard with the new management possibility.

The Rubicon Trail Foundation is looking for a caretaker to manage their property this coming season. I believe I heard it will only be open on weekends June through Sept. This season might bring two cabins on the property which would allow a caretaker to stay throughout the week and keep the property open seven days a week. The property swap agreement to allow a road to the property requires a caretaker in order for the property to be open to the public.

Tahoe side to do were discussed. Priorities are going to be set and volunteers will be needed. Please contact the newly re-elected Trail Boss, Shannon Chard at LaughingPlace76@yahoo.com if you would like to volunteer to work on the trail.

If you did work on the Rubicon within Placer County last year, please document your hours and get them to Shannon or Kansas with Placer County. If you do work this coming season, again, get your hours to Shannon or Placer County. Your volunteer hours count as cash for matching funds the counties need to come up with in order to get grant money.

Work on Cadillac Hill has already been scheduled at the lower Hairpin. Jeepers Jamboree is leading that project.

John Briggs has stepped down from the Tahoe Side Lead position after three years of service. FOTR is looking for someone to take over this position. John and others will be helping out who ever takes on that position.